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Product Description
Product Description
Find an introduction to the architecture, concepts and algorithms of the Linux kernel in Professional Linux Kernel Architecture, a guide to the kernel sources and large number of connections among subsystems. Find an introduction to the relevant structures and functions exported by the kernel to userland, understand the theoretical and conceptual aspects of the Linux kernel and Unix derivatives, and gain a deeper understanding of the kernel. Learn how to reduce the vast amount of information contained in the kernel sources and obtain the skills necessary to understand the kernel sources.
From the Back Cover
Professional Linux Kernel Architecture
As the Linux kernel constantly evolves, so must your understanding of the central functions of the kernel. Linux expert Wolfgang Mauerer focuses on version 2.6.24 (as well as summarizing changes to versions 2.6.25 and 2.6.26) of the kernel as he walks you through the concepts, underlying structures, and implementation of the Linux kernel. Keeping a close connection with the source code—as well as the components and subsystems of the kernel—this book reviews the VFS layer and discusses virtual filesystems and the Extended filesystem family and examines how the page and buffer cache speed up kernel operations.
You'll take a look at the peculiarities of various architectures supported by the kernel, explore the assorted tools and means of working efficiently with the kernel sources, and investigate the numerous social aspects of kernel development and the Linux kernel community. Ultimately, this insightful book will serve as an indispensable step towards understanding structure and implementation of the Linux kernel.
What you will learn from this book
Various ways of viewing the kernel—as an enhanced machine, a resource manager, and a library
How the kernel handles all time-related requirements, both with low and high resolution
The mechanisms required to ensure proper operation of the kernel on multiprocessor systems
How modules add new functionality to the kernel
How the kernel deals with memory management, page reclaim, and swapping
How the kernel deals with networks and implements TCP/IP
Who this book is for
This book is for system programmers, administrators, developers of Linux-based solutions, and overall Linux enthusiasts. A solid foundation of C programming is required.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Inside This Book
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
36 of 50 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overbearing and huge, Dec 8 2008
By Federico Lucifredi "Bookworm" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Professional Linux Kernel Architecture (Paperback)
I picked up Mauerer's work on the bookish desire to keep my Kernel book library complete - and contrary to my hopes I was disappointed right from the introduction.The book is 1337 pages long, which in itself is a negative and the leading reason for the low score - being clear (which the author is) should not come at the expense of being concise. All major areas of kernel architecture are covered, and the author often covers operating systems basics not found in such books, which partly explains (but hardly justifies) the bulk.
The kernel version covered in the book is 2.6.24, which is newer than that covered by Robert Love's book, which remains my recommendation regardless because of its pointedly zeroing in on the relevant bits, instead of exploring every single minutia along the way as Mauerer does here.
The book has merit for a bookworm such as myself, who will refer to it on a chapter basis, but is not the top choice for someone entering the subject anew.
For general use (i.e. where your bookshelf does not include every Linux kernel book ever published), Love's "Linux Kernel Development" (2nd ed) is a much better architectural introduction. If you miss operating system's basics, your first stop should be Tanenbaum's "Operating Systems Design and Implementation" (3rd ed) as well as his "Modern Operating Systems" (3rd ed) before you even think to start poking at the Linux kernel and get overwhelmed by the number of concepts you should have had previous familiarity with. Finally, if you are driven to the Linux kernel by device drivers, as is the most common case, Corbet, Rubini and Kroah-Hartman's "Linux Device Drivers" (3rd ed) definitely belongs on your shelf, although the very recent "Essential Linux Device Drivers" by Vekateswaran mounted the first credible threat to it in a decade, being both thorough and possibly tying Love for the spot as most enjoyable kernel book I have read to date - I would recommend a new device driver developer to go with both, possibly augmented by Love if more architectural knowledge is desired.
The bottom line is that this is a valiant effort, but that the author should have focused more. If you have the time to read thirteen-hundred pages, your time is better invested reading the titles above recommended, picking two or three depending on your exact focus in the subject - you will still be done faster than reading this one!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great functional explanation on many kernel aspects, Aug 19 2010
By filofel - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Professional Linux Kernel Architecture (Paperback)
I bought this book exactly one year ago, and I have used it for all that time. That's more than enough to make an opinion, and I consider Linux Kernel Architecture (LKA) a *very* valuable book, actually one of the most useful books about Linux Kernel that I own (and I think I have them all).I use it this way: When looking for some aspect of the Linux kernel logic, I first go to LKA to see if the topic is addressed somewhere (the answer is most often "yes"). Then I read the relevant parts of LKA before I start to dive into the source code for more. What I get is a plain English, detailed, structured functional and technical explanation of the code I'm interested in, with diagrams and figures whenever it can help. The book mentions the path of the relevant source files, something that saves time, too.
In other words, I use it as a reference book, as a birds eye view into the kernel, but also as a functional explanation for a number of part of the code that are all but simple and obvious.
Now be warned: This is definitely not an introductory book for the beginner, nor a Linux kernel programming tutorial or techref manual, nor a book about device driver programming - even if it may help there. But all of those topics are addressed by other famous books such as Love's Linux Kernel Development 3rd Ed., Linux Device Drivers 3rd Ed, Essential Linux Device Drivers and a few others (I use all of those, too).
This is probably not either a book that you would read cover to cover.
It might not either always cover absolutely everything with all the details you might want (heck, it's only 1337 pages!)
But what LKA provides is a very well commented guide and roadmap into many aspects of the kernel, and one that is still recent enough to still be relevant. I just hope it will be regularly updated, and new editions republished.
In other words, LKA is a great time saver. I consider my time as valuable, and LKA has paid for itself manyfolds.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great resource for developers new to Linux, Jan 19 2012
By Marc Mest - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Professional Linux Kernel Architecture (Paperback)
Overall this book does have some irritating issues, but it is worthwhile text for programmers who are starting out with the Linux kernel. Even though Linux is a moving target, this book will save you some headaches and surfing message boards on the internet.Is it better than Love's book? No probably not, but it is different.. This book provides some insight into coding and specific advice that will help you get past the Linux learning curve. Even if you never code, you will at least understand how to solve your own system problems.
The real issue with this book is organization and the index is horrible. The overviews are not as good as Love's, and as one reviewer mentioned he is not concise.
But he does walk you through more of the code and gives you the various coding housekeeping tasks you must peform in the kernel.
I think Love does a better job with the high level overviews, and he does provide analysis of tradeoffs.
Either way this book is worth the money, since if it saves you reading kernel sourcecode to learn, then trust me it is worth the price.
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